Gas and steam convertible engine.



No. 893,557. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

E. R. UHLIN. GAS AND STEAM CONVERTIBLE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v PATENTED JULY 14} 1908. E. R. UHLIN.

GAS AND STEAM CONVERTIBLE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lays.

IIHIHII 5895, q flo No. 893,557. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908. E. R. UHLIN.

GAS AND STEAM CONVERTIBLE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.1905.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 893,557. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908. E. R. UHLIN.

GAS AND STEAM CONVERTIBLE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26,1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ERNEST R. UHLIN, OF WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA.

GAS AND STEAM CONVERTIBLE ENGINE.

Application filed June 26, 1905.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Serial No. 267,026.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST R. UHLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Whittier in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas and Steam Convertible Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved convertible engine and more particularly a convertible 'gas and steam engine of the two-cycle gas-engine and double acting steam-engine type. This class of engine is now extensively used in drilling and operating oil and gas-Wells, and my invention is designed to provide a cheaper and more efficient engine of this class than stem 11.

those heretofore in use and also to provide a construction whereby the engine may be more quickly converted from a steam-engine into a gas-engine and vice versa.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an application of my invention, Figure 1, is a side elevational view partly in section of an engine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a central horizontal sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 1, taken from the opposite side of cylinder; Fig. 4, a part elevational and a part sectional view the section being taken on line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a detail sectional view taken on line 55 of Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 6, a section taken on line 66 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 a section taken on line 88 of Fig. 2; Fig. 9, a plan detail view of cap; and Fig. 10 a section of cap taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the cylinder having a water-jacket space 2, and 3 a piston dividing the interior of'the cylinder into chambers 4 and 5. Attached to and closing one end of the cylinder is a hollowhead 6; this headis in communication with a steam-chest 7 by fluid-passages 8 and 8. As illustrated passage 8 is formed in the head and said head is further provided with a valve 9 for controlling the passage of fluid from the chest to one end of the cylinder. Located in the steam-chest and designed to operate as is usual in double-acting steam engines, is a slide-valve 10 having a valve Steam is admitted to the compression or opposite end of the cylinder from the chest by way of passage 12, cap 13, and passage 14. Steam exhaust passage 15 is controlled by the slide-valve as is usual in this haust, and I am enabled to employ a single discharge 16 for both the steam and gas-exhausts, this construction greatly simplifies and cheapens the cost of this class of engines.

In addition to the parts above mentioned I employ an explosive-mixture compressi0nchamber 18, as illustrated and as preferred chamber 18 is in the form of an annular chamber partly surrounding the cylinder and is formed between an inner wall 19 and themner surface of the outer wall of the cylinder. 20, designates the explosive mixture intakeports, these ports being in communication with a gas and air mixing chamber 21, and the latter chamber is in turn in communication with an air inlet 22, and with a gasinlet 23. The explosive-mixture drawn into chamber 4 through intake-ports 2O unc0vered by'the piston, passes from chamber 4 through passage 14, cap 13 to the compression-chamber 18, and after being compressed in said-chamber is permitted to enter the ex plosive end of the cylinder, by way of governor valve 25, chamber 24, and ports 24 The explosive mixture is again com pressed by the return stroke of the piston. The subsequent operations in the cycle are similar to the usual operations of a threeport two-cycle gas engme.

WVhen using the explosive-mixture hollowcap 13 is turned so that its solid part 13 covers passage 12 leading to the steam-chest, thereby preventing the explosive-mixture passing to the steam-chest. This turning of cap 13 as just described, brings its passages 13 in such a position as to allow the explosive-mixture to pass through the cap to the compression chamber or jacket 18. Vhile gas is being used communication between the explosive end of this cylinder andthe steam chest is cut 01f by means of valve 9. Steam enters mixing chamber 21 through ports 20 after slide valve 10 has discontinued admitting steam. Steam entering chamber 21 is therefore in the form of exhaust and during said operation the exhaust pressure at air inlet 22 is above atmospheric pressure, consequently the air and gas cannot enter openings 22 and 23, and as the gas supply pipe will be provided with a check-valve the steam exhaust cannot enter said supply pipe.

' being adjusted.

steam is again admitted to the steam-chest While running on steam both openings 22 and 16 will serve as steam exhaust-outlets.

Assuming the engine to be runnin with steam as the motive-fluid and it is desired to change to gas, this may be accomplished without stopping the engine by means of the following operations: After releasing the clutch pulley, not shown, shut off the steam at throttle-valve, not shown, but which is located on top of the steam-chest then turn cap 13 so that solid part 13 covers steampassage 12. As the turning of cap 13 only takes an instant the momentum of the flywheel keeps engine running while the cap is After this is accomplished and from thence to the explosive-end of cylinder through the opening in valve 9. The engine is now admitting steam to one end only of the cylinder and when run in this manner a few revolutions will expel all vapors from chamber 4 or the front of cylinder. Vapors are expelled from chamber 4 by being passed through steam passage 14, l valve 13,

governor va ve 25, chamber 24, and through port 24 into chamber 5 where the pressure has been relieved by the opening of port 17 by the piston. The piston having uncovered said ports an instant before uncovering port 24 After the engine has run a few moments air and gas are admitted through the intake ports 20 after which steam is again shut off on top of this steamchest, and valve 9 turned to close the steaminlet passage leading to the explosive-chamber. The engine now being converted into an explosive two-cycle engine will continue to operate as such until it is desired to change the same back into a double-acting steamengine.

Particular attention is called to the fact that I dispense with the usual intake-valve or air and gas-valves, and, when running on gas there are no moving parts in or connected with the cylinder except the piston and governor.

What I claim is:

1. In a gas and steam convertible engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with explosive mixture intake and exhaustports, of a piston controlling said ports, a steam-chest, steam-passages leading from the chest to opposite ends of the cylinder, a

steam exhaust-passage, an annular explosive mixture compression-chamber partly surrounding the cylinder, said cylinder having inlet-ports 24*, a chamber 24, and a valve 25, a cap-valve for closing the steam-passage leading to one end of the cylinder and adapt-' ed to direct the ex losive-mixture from the intakeorts to sai compression-chamber, a valve fl and a common main exhaust-outlet in com munication with the explosive-mixture exhaust-ports and the steam exhaust-passage.

2. In a gas and steam convertible engine, the combination with a cylinder providedwith explosive mixture intake and exhaustports, of a piston controlling said ports, a steam-chest, steamassage 12, passage 14, a

orted cap provide with ports adapted to be brought into communication with said passages, an annular ex losive mixture compression-chamber art y surrounding the cylinder, said cylin er having inlet-ports 24 chamber 24, a valve 25, said ported cap adapted to be turned in one direction to register with a ort leading to the compressionchamber an with passage 14 leading to the intake-ports and to shut off steam from the chest to one end-of the cylinder, and turned in the opposite direction to close communication between the intake-ports and the compression-chamber.

3. In a gas and steam convertible engine, the combination'witha cylinder provided with explosive-mixture intake and exhaustports, of a piston controlling said ports, a steam-chest, steam-passages from the chest to opposite ends of the cylinder, a steam exhaust-passage, a common main exhaust outlet in communication with the explosivemixture exhaust-ports and the steam exhaust-passage, an annular compression-chamher, said cylinder having ports 24*, chamber 24, a valve 25 a ported capprovided with means to shut off steam from the steamchest to one end of the cylinder and to direct the explosive mixture from the intake-ports to the compression-chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, ERNEST R. UHLIN. Witnesses:

RAY R. WoonwARD, NINA H. TABER.

r closing the other steam-passage,' 

